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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Austria supports infrastructure projects in Serbia

Belgrade/Vienna, 24 September 2007

Serbian Minister of Infrastructure Velimir Ilic stated today in Vienna that his Austrian collocutors agreed that the Austrian government should support infrastructure projects in Serbia through banks and contractors, as well as credit lines.

Ilic said he is pleased that the Austrian government endorses these projects which are in the final stage and are soon to be realised. Minister Ilic also recalled that these projects include the construction of the railway Valjevo-Loznica, which is important for linking the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska with the Belgrade-Bar railroad.

Following the meeting with Austrian Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technologies Werner Faymann, Ilic specified that the other project is the construction and reconstruction of railroads in central Serbia, primarily the railroad Kraljevo-Krusevac-Stalac and electrification and linking of the Belgrade-Bar railroad with Corridor 10.

Ilic said these projects are huge and worth around €350 million and announced that the Serbian-Austrian inter-government commission will meet on October 11 in Belgrade to specify the terms of these investments, so that their realisation should soon begin.

During his stay in Vienna, Minister Ilic also met with representatives of Austrian construction companies Alpina and Por, that is, concessionaires for the Horgos-Pozega motorway.

We discussed the motorway with contractors and Minister Faymann, said Ilic and voiced pleasure at hearing that the works will begin earlier than agreed.

According to Ilic, in that context two parts are under preparation – one from Subotica towards Pozega, and the other from Belgrade towards Pozega. This work will begin by the end of November and parts of the fund are already available.

Faymann also supported the realisation of joint projects in Serbia, and the main subject of discussion between the Serbian delegation and Minister Faymann were projects connected to the Serbian railways.

The Serbian delegation was led by Minister Ilic, and it included Serbian State Secretary of Infrastructure Miodrag Jocic, Director General of the Serbian public railway company Zeleznice Srbije Milenko Sarancic and Director of the Serbian transportation institution CIP Milutin Ignjatovic.

Faymann expressed satisfaction at the establishment of the intergovernmental Austrian and Serbian committee which should support the projects, and said that projects connected with the railways are top priority.

He explained that Austria, like Serbia, is a country of transit, due to which construction of a railways network is very important. He stressed that good relations between Austria and Serbia will be continued on this level.

Minister Ilic also met in Vienna with Austrian State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport , Innovation and Technology Christa Kranzl, as well as representatives of banks and other financial institutions.